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Many significant movements have graced humanity through its journey from its
beginning to the present. While they are all important, there are several that seem to serve
in fundamental ways.
have influenced our human family for 2000 years or more, their practices surviving by
handing down the teachings and practices from generation to generation, to this very day
(Smith, 1989). These traditions seemed to focus on particular areas that make us
As awareness developed in the form of states and state stages, it also developed
structurally, recognizing first, the physical growth of a human and then later, the growth
and maturity of the human mind. During the past 100 + years we have experienced the
birth of the developmental movement with the research of people like James Mark
Baldwin (Baldwin, 1901) and Jean Piaget (Piaget, 1969) who took notice of their own
children’s developmental maturity of mind. The growing awareness in this field has
propagated a full range of human developmental research from birth to death, and on
(Gilligan, 1993); values (Hall, 1994) (Graves, 2002); lines in context (Stein, 2010)
developmental stages in their own particular way. Even though these researchers worked
independently from each other in most cases, (some, standing on the shoulders of earlier
researchers), when put side by side, these research studies show strikingly similar stage
development in specific areas known as “lines”; became roots of the Integral Frame
which Wilber categorized into four quadrants (Wilber, 1995). The most recent version of
this evolving theory categorizes levels, lines, states, and types into four quadrants and
eight zones (Wilber, 2006). Over the past 17 years, this theory has become a full-blown
movement that includes all these important areas through which virtually every
fundamental theory of “being” from the beginning to the end of matter, concrete, subtle,
causal and non-dual time and space (Wilber, 2001). The subsequent map is very elegant
and succinct. It is based on the intersection of two sets of primordial polar pairs that seem
primary to the understanding of the evolving world, a part of which we as humans have
Framing the Integral map with these intersecting polar pairs, one begins to
encounter four primary developmental spaces of the world that can enhance a fuller, more
This elegant Integral MAP, though deceptively simple in its presentation, seems
to have the components necessary to portray all perspectives. By locating any particular
perspective in its representative space within the map, one can put it in context with all
the other perspectives that arise within us, and thus see what one might be leaving out of
one’s view. This includes seeing how one’s perspectives fit within in the four
Looking at this map through a magnifying glass gives us even more insights into
our own views. The learning is enhanced, then, by bringing awareness to what is present
within the map, and also to what spaces are empty and what those spaces might represent.
With these empty and full spaces in mind, and a magnifying glass as a tool for enlarging
our “insight field” for all quadratic spaces, we can take a different kind of journey
to inform each other in hidden ways. We can begin to sense into these veiled parts by
Zooming in and literally drawing lines in all four quadrants to distinguish the
developmental levels that fall earlier than humans, identifies the remaining space that
represents human developmental levels (see figure 2 below). The central square in the
heart of the quadratic diagram represents the earliest forms of matter, plant, cold-blooded
The next area to be identified represents the “concrete” human levels described in
developmental research on humans. The third level is labeled “Subtle” to depict the next
set of validated developmental levels, because this band depicts those levels that describe
subtle experiences that are noticed beyond the concrete senses and symbols. These two
bands are supported by ample research (Cook-Greuter, 1999), (R. Kegan, 1994)
perspectives that begin to bring awareness to the emptiness and fullness of concrete and
subtle experiences, also described in the latest developmental research (Cook Greuter,
1999). The last band, marked “non-dual” is a projection based on the later stages
that represent beingness that is earlier than humans; and concrete, subtle, causal and non-
dual sub-quadrants that represent human experience. These terms, so often used as
developmental stages.
quadratic categories allows us to see that each of these sets of sub-quadrants would have
a slightly different set of polar pairs. For example, in the concrete sub-quadrant of
development, we would be aware of a concrete individual, a concrete collective, a
concrete interior and a concrete exterior. These poles would be different than the poles
depicting the subtle sub-quadrant of developmental levels: the subtle individual, the
subtle collective, the subtle interior and the subtle exterior and so on. Figure three depicts
inquiries about spaces that we may not have considered before; for example, what is a
subtle-individual exterior (the upper right in the subtle sub-quadrants)? What is a causal-
individual exterior (the upper right in the causal quadrants)? These are not obvious
inquiries in the single quadrant map; it is common for us to have an experience and then
locate those perspectives somewhere on the quadratic map. However, asking these more
veiled questions may help us see more clearly the trajectory of development within the
representative spaces of the quadrants and to find parts of ourselves we didn’t know
existed; ones that could be standing in the dimness of the single quadrant map but can be
Probing further is the question of how the eight indigenous perspectives, or zones
(Wilber 2005) might be applied to these four sub-quadrant maps. Wilber’s map of the
eight zones shows the insides and the outsides of each of the quadrants. This is such a
prior level, and the outside quadratic zones enact “through-time” and prioritized
perspectives: the individual now “has” those perspectives and integrates them.
Figure 4: The Eight Zones
This pattern indicates that the insides and outsides of the quadrants relate directly
to development as well. By depicting each sub-quadrant separately with its own zones
and the particular developmental levels it represents; we can begin to see with more ease,
a greater granularity, the developmental perspectives within each sub- quadrant with their
Wilber’s quadrant map is the concrete sub-quadrant with the intersecting poles of
concrete- individual and concrete-collective; concrete-interior and concrete-exterior
(figure 5)
perspectives being represented in the upper right and left quadrants, each having “in-the-
moment” exterior and interior perspectives (the inside circles) and through-time
perspectives which, prioritize exterior and interior perspectives (the outsides of the
quadrants).
The lower vertical pole, concrete-collective, would represents second person
perspectives in the lower right and left quadrants, each having “in-the-moment” exterior
and interior perspectives (the inside circles) and through-time perspectives which
Thus, represented in the top quadrants are perspectives relating to the individual,
or the early first person perspective and the late first person perspective. Represented in
the lower quadrants are perspectives related to collectives, or the early and late second
person perspectives.
The perspectives continue to iterate through each of the four sets of sub-
quadrants, each with their own set of quadratic poles, their own specific developmental
levels, and insides and outsides; this may bring light to previously veiled spaces.
By viewing the concrete sub-quadrants with more detail, some insights begin to
come up. It appears that the concrete sub-quadrants represent the developmental space in
which the first and second person perspectives (con-op) are enacted. If one were looking
“from or as” the developmental perspectives depicted within these quadrants, the third
person perspective hasn’t been enacted yet. However if one were looking “through” these
concrete quadratic perspectives (quadrivia) at something else, one could take their own
(perhaps a third, fourth, fifth, sixth or later) view, as they are looking “at or though” these
first and second person perspectives. In this case, their own later personal perspective
taking would color what they see of the first and second person perspectives. (See Gary
singular and plural” (Wilber, 2006) p 16-17. If we look “as” this integral microscope, we
can see that perhaps the third person perspective isn’t enacted in the concrete sub-
quadrants. It seems to show up at the next, and later, subtle sub-quadrant because it
represents the more subtle capacity of abstract and formal operations: e.g. thinking about
recognize the difference between a third person perspective, and a “third” person (you
can see and refer to a third person using pronouns without taking a third person
perspective). One definition of “third person” places the third person perspective in a
trajectory of perspectives from the first through the latest known perspectives.
However, the notion of language conventions arises here. There seems to be three
language, which is generally described as second person subjective perspectives, and “it”
question that comes up here is, “ What pronouns represent the 4th through the 8th person
perspectives?”
In this model, the third person perspective will be used as one of all of the levels
related to “it” and “its”; rather we will recognize the existence of an “it” and some “its”
represented in the concrete quadrants as a concrete objects of a subject which could arise
States within the Concrete Quadrants: “it” and “its”, as objects as well as pronouns
The mystical wisdom traditions all have some focus on awareness and states, even
at these earliest of stages (Underhill, 1911). Concrete, subtle, causal, and non-dual states
of awareness in the concrete sub-quadrants have been described by the traditions for
symbols as their focus of awareness, rather than subtle or causal objects. For example a
nature spirits would all be concrete objects within state awareness in the concrete
quadrant perspectives, while the “subtle” god “within” might be thought of as a subtle
Language wise, these objects are “its”, and some arise on the interior side of the
quadrants (such as bliss that arises from over-exposure to the elements) and some on the
exterior side of the quadrants (such as moving without a mover). These are individual
states. There are also collective interior “its” states (collective bliss from attending
concrete rituals, such as religious services and chanting) and exterior “its” states
(collective action such as ecstatic dance). It seems that objects (“it, and its”) are
represented in all four quadrants when it is the object of awareness in any quadrant rather
primary classes of states have often been depicted within several traditions as waking,
dreaming and deep dreamless sleep. These same states can be represented in our common
daily life. For example, imagination, and the capacity to visualize (i.e. being lucidly
aware in a daydream) is a corollary of “lucid night dreaming”, and is necessary for one to
move from a first person perspective to a second person perspective; one must be able to
first visualize that which you cannot concretely see (mommy is around the corner in the
kitchen), before one can take a second person perspective and recognize that another
person can literally see concrete objects that you can’t see or even visualize.
Although there are many states in addition to these necessary critical concrete-
subtle states (that have concrete objects), once they progress through first person and
second person and become ordinary, they fuel the leap to the next developmental sub-
quadrant tier; thus states and stages are interdependent and interpenetrated in their
evolutionary journey. States in the concrete stages always have concrete objects of
awareness.
The capacity to move from concrete perspectives to the subtle perspectives in the
subtle sub-quadrants represents a tier leap. The subtle quadrants have their own unique
The horizontal poles representing this subtle space are: the subtle-interior and the
subtle-exterior; the vertical poles are the subtle-individual and the subtle-collective. This
sub-quadrant map represents the enactment of the third and fourth person perspectives.
Figure 6: Subtle Quadrants
identical to that in the concrete sub-quadrants. However it is based in the subtle polar pair
intersections rather than the concrete ones, so it symbolizes a very different terrain. For
example, one might wonder what an exterior-subtle individual perspective is (upper right
subtle quadrant), or what an external-subtle collective is (lower right subtle quadrant); the
perspectives represented by these intersecting poles may not seem all that intuitive. One
can begin to fill in the empty spaces in one’s perspective taking by identifying what these
spaces represent in experience. Embodying these hidden perspectives might bring a more
subtle sub-quadrants have been described by the wisdom traditions in more recent times;
and they are distinguished by adding subtle objects, in addition to concrete objects, to
their focus of awareness, For example, the “god in the sky” becomes the “god within”;
one brings awareness to one’s thinking processes themselves, beyond the concrete objects
within one’s thoughts. The subtle states with concrete objects have been mastered at the
concrete tier before people begin to experience individual and collective subtle states
with subtle objects in the subtle tier. While the traditions, and some people cultivate
causal and non-dual states of awareness in the concrete stages they are not necessary to
move into and inhabit the subtle tier perspectives. However since the causal quadrants
subtle stages, for at some point in the causal quadrants, emptiness/fullness becomes
ordinary.
The capacity to move from subtle perspectives to the causal perspectives depicted
in the subtle sub-quadrants represents another tier leap. The causal quadrants have their
The horizontal poles representing causal space are the causal interior, or
emptiness and the causal exterior, or fullness; the vertical poles are the causal individual
or the witness and the causal collective, or all of concrete, subtle and causal existence,
which Wilber calls the Kosmas (Wilber, 2006). This sub-quadrant map depicts the
enactment of the fifth and sixth person perspectives, which represents Cook Greuter’s
(1999) latest research. She is the sole researcher to date that has statistically documented
If we were to assume that the patterns of the first two sub-quadrants iterate into
the causal sub-quadrants, then one could surmise that there would be two fifth person
perspectives (an inside early, and an outside later perspective) symbolized in the upper
quadrants and two sixth person perspectives represented by the insides and the outsides
of the lower quadrants. This gives us some impetus to identify later levels of these two
perspectives.
One thing in particular to note about the polar pairs in the causal quadrants is that
their span is much wider and deeper than the ones in the concrete sub-quadrants (which
has a more narrow span) and the subtle sub-quadrants (which increases its span beyond
the concrete levels by transcending and including them). The wider the span the more
different the space would be between the intersecting poles of the sub-quadrants. Thus
external “fullness” fifth person perspectives would seem immensely different than
internal “emptiness” fifth person perspectives because of the vastness between these two
horizontal poles.
Figure 7, the causal quadrants.
causal sub-quadrants are distinguished by adding causal (emptiness and fullness) objects
to their focus of awareness in addition to subtle and concrete objects. To begin taking the
perspectives represented by the causal sub-quadrants, subtle states with subtle objects
must be mastered, and subtle states with causal objects must be cultivated. You don’t
need access to non-dual states to move into this sub-quadrant; however cultivating them
patterns that appear to be manifesting in the previous three sub-quadrants and the few
accounts we have of these very late levels of being. Developmental stages that seem to fit
the spaces symbolized by non-dual sub-quadrants have been described in the literature
(Aurobindo, 2000). Here is where we begin to see how the iterating pattern related to the
The horizontal Causal horizontal poles of emptiness and fullness (form) come
together to form the first Non-dual presence; when emptiness and fullness come together,
there is no opposing pole to arise to the non-dual space because they are no longer “two”.
Thus the horizontal poles disappear and there are no longer four quadrants in the non-
dual diagram, but two spaces, representing the two remaining poles, the Non-dual
Individual and the Non-Dual Collective. Individuals can realize a Non-Dual Oneness all
along the developmental trajectory, but this space represents a Non-Dual Stage one
begins to walk around with. None-the-less, this doesn’t complete the Non-dual Journey;
indeed emptiness and fullness have come together non-dually, but the Individual and the
Collective have not. This sub-quadrant map symbolizes the enactment of the seventh and
eighth person perspectives, early and late, which represents Aurobindo’s (2002) latest
stages. At present there is no research to verify these stages other than the
These stages represent the ever-present enactment of the evolutionary itch, which
Iterating patterns.
There are several iterating patterns that point to this kind of granularity to the
(both/and)
of twos that represents the zone pattern. This pattern has been so widely
Wilber’s map. This pattern describes the experience that humans have
perspective, but they are “had by” this new perspective. In the Integration
stage they become mature in this person perspective taking, and can own
and “have” this perspective (R. Kegan, 1994). Other theorists and
1992).
When carried out consistently within the quadrants/zones, these patterns iterate,
and this supports the understanding of the interpenetration of quadrants, zones, states, and
development.
One can depict more granularity of the arising of the Kosmos with sub-quadrants
all the way up and down because the poles to sub-quadrants are more detailed; this
To move from one sub quadrant to the next, first the Individual pole will collapse
into the Collective pole to form the lower quadrant collective stages. (You can visualize
folding the top quadrants down into the bottom quadrants) Then the Interior and the
Exterior poles fold together to support a move to the next quadrant. In the next quadrant a
new Individual pole arises to oppose the last quadrant collective and a new interior pole
arises to oppose the exterior pole (which is an interpenetration of the last quadrants
individual and collective pole). This process works well until you move into the Non-dual
Stages where emptiness and fullness fold together, and when emptiness and fullness are
non-dual there are no possible arising poles to oppose so the horizontal poles vanish at
that point and we are left with only the Individual and the Collective non-dual stages at
that point.
Tenet 2 arising from the four states from the great wisdom traditions
Concrete, subtle, causal and non-dual states arise in all four quadrants; Concrete
subtle, causal and non-dual stages are depicted by the sub-quadrants, and represent states
Each sub-quadrant represents within it, the stages that enact these four polar
opposites; thus in this meta-theory, there are four fundamental primary stages
representing each of these four polar stages in each sub-quadrants, even though many
research projects may categorize with more or less than four iterating stages in each tier.
Tenet 4 arising from the differentiating and integration pattern (transcend and include)
Each sub-quadrant represents early parts of stages, (which are symbolized by the
insides of the quadrants), and late parts of stages, (which are symbolized by the outsides
of the quadrants); thus the right and left insides of top sub-quadrants arise together, and
the right and left outsides of top sub-quadrants arise together. This same pattern repeats
when one develops they begin with the most concrete perspectives, and develop through
the subtle perspectives into the causal perspectives, etc. This suggests that the
developmental trajectory would begin on the inside circle of the upper right concrete
quadrant, then go to the inside of the upper left (because the early parts of pp. arise
together), then to the outside of the upper right, and then to the outside side of the upper
left in that order. This pattern is repeated through the bottom quadrants and through the
The zone pattern of “transcend and include”, (i.e. differentiation and integration)
symbolizes a move within stages (from an early to a late pp). However when this occurs
from one sub-quadrant to the next, (the nondual sub-quadrant transcends and includes the
causal sub-quadrant, which transcends and includes the subtle sub-quadrants, which
transcends and includes the concrete quadrants), this pushes the quadratic poles to wider
and deeper spans causing the stages in the latest tiers to cover an extended distance in
each stage: so wide that a single stage may be experienced as two or more stages.
theory continues to evolve, as well as the content it is representing. History has shown us
that a larger view can transform the entirety of all that we thought we knew, so it is but a
practical approach to find ways for our ontological theories, our epistemological ways of
This may guide the research of later perspectives where we have no integrated
research approaches as of yet; this calls for new Integral research methodologies, which
Summary
The integration of these iterating patterns (quadrants, polar poles, states and
transcend-and-include) into sub-quadrants integrates all of the perspectives on a more
granular level then a single set of quadrants can depict. Furthermore, we can begin to see
how we must always be aware of our own perspectives as we look through the
particular sub-quadrant, we likely will not yet see later ones, and the ones we hold will
color the perspectives we can take in the earlier sub-quadrants. This phenomenon is
depicted in this last summary map of how our own views color the original perspectives
as we look through these maps in a quadrivia approach. Gary Ruiz created this map.
http://www.thetechtonicplate.com/Integral%20Kosmology%20Infographic.swf
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